Essay Week 2: Infidelity of Jupiter

Several of the stories found in Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4) included the characters Jupiter and Juno, king and queen of the gods. In every story including these two characters, there was a general theme that one could easily pick up on: Jupiter cheats on his wife. It is seen over and over again. It leaves the reader with several questions. Why is Jupiter so unfaithful? Why does Juno tolerate Jupiter's infidelity? Examples from some of the stories read in this unit can lead the reader answers to these questions.

Jupiter and Juno by Franz Christoph Janneck (1703-1761). Web Source: Wikipedia Commons.

The first story that provides an example of Jupiter's infidelity is the story of Io. After Jupiter rapes Io, we see that Juno is already suspicious of his actions. She is used to his antics and has come to expect them. When she finds Jupiter and Io, whom Jupiter had disguised as a heifer, the reader can see her suspicion in the many questions she asks about the heifer. From this story, the reader learns that Jupiter is frequently unfaithful and that Juno anticipates this sort of behavior from him.

In the story of Callisto, the reader gains a little more insight on Jupiter's behavior. Again, in this story, Jupiter rapes Callisto, only this time he first dresses like a woman. He does not just overpower her from the start, but shows a little bit of his devious character. Just before he decides to rape Callisto, though, the reader can be sure that Jupiter is up to no good. He fears being caught by Juno, but decides that it will be worth the fight even if he does. This demonstrates that Jupiter is a trouble maker, and gets a thrill from causing chaos.

Juno eventually does catch Jupiter, but instead of showing her wrath on him, she turns Callisto into a bear. We can see her reasoning behind this in the story of Semele. When she becomes angry with Semele for bearing Jupiter's child, she states that as queen of the gods she must punish her. Her pride is hurt, and to not punish Semele would make her less of a god. 

The reader is still left curios as to why Juno does not take her wrath out on Jupiter. Perhaps other stories from Ovid's Metamorphoses could provide insight to this question. I, for one, hold the opinion that she cannot punish him directly, because he is superior to her in the world of the gods. I would not be surprised, however, if some stories contained some plot where Juno plays a trick on Jupiter. 

Storytelling for Week 2: Selfia

The Birth and Death of Selfia

A man and a woman spent many years together madly in love. As great as their love was for each other, however, they found themselves unable to conceive a child. After several years of trying, they began to fear that, while their love was great, it was also barren. They decided to seek counsel from the doctors, and they were told that before the passing of six moons, they would find that which they did seek.
Five month passed and they discovered that what the doctors had told them was true! They had been blessed and the woman was with child. They rejoiced for many days, throwing grand parties and inviting countless friends. One friend, who was known for his futuristic insight, took it upon himself to offer the happy couple with sound advice for the new child. The child was to avoid the new coming technology and social media. If the child were to be exposed to these trends, the child would surely only find destruction.
The child was born a girl, and she was named Selfia. Many years passed, and Selfia grew up to be a very lovely girl. The parents had a love for her even greater than the love they had for each other. Many boys in her class found her to be lovelier than any girl they had seen, but she rejected the prepubescent declarations of love they offered her.
Selfia's thirteenth birthday was fast approaching, and she had but one wish: to receive an iPhone and join her friends in the exploration of the lands of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Such magical places these places seemed in her head, so she pleaded day and night to receive the key that would unlock the door to these lands. Her parents’ great love for their only daughter was so great, that they agreed to this request, despite what the wise friend had said. On Selfia's thirteenth birthday, she received the iPhone 5S.
Immediately, Selfia began to explore Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but of these, she loved the land of Instagram most. She took pictures of everything around her, every time of day. Once, she accidentally held her iPhone backwards, but when she realized her error, she witnessed the most beautiful human she had ever seen! Who was this girl who she saw on her phone? She tried turning the phone backwards again, and when she looked at the picture, the girl had the same curios look on her face. Selfia knew this girl was just as interested and excited as she was.
Many days passed, and Selfia spent most of her time trying to discover who this girl was. The people of Instagram all agreed that this girl was beautiful and fascinating, and this flattered Selfia to know she had discovered such an amazing girl. However, it frustrated her to not know who she was or how they could be together. She knew she was meant to be with her. When Selfia was happy, the girl was filled with glee; when Selfia was sad, the girl showed sorrow on her face. Even when Selfia would purse her lips and hold out two fingers, the girl would mimic this expression.
Selfia was devoted her life to finding this girl. She traveled all over the world, and everywhere Selfia went, the girl seemed to follow. As Selfia traveled, though, she spent more time searching Instagram than she did monitoring her heath. Her body began to deteriorate, and she transformed from the loveliest girl to one that was most wretched to look at. The girl of Instagram stayed with her for all of Selfia’s years, and when Selfia was on her deathbed, so was the girl. Though she never did find the girl, Selfia knew that her love for her outmatched even her parents’ love for each other.
 
Author's Note: This story is an adaptation of the story Narcissus, which can be found in Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4). It is a fantastic story and a fantastic way to find out where the term "narcissist" comes from! Basically, Narcissus is a super handsome dude, who sees his reflection in a pool of water and falls in love with it. He ends up turning into a flower in the end. It is interesting how he did not know he was looking at his own reflection; he was so convinced that there was a person in the water. He was completely in love with himself and totally detached from reality. I wrote a more modern adaptation, but I tried to keep the language sounding old. Also, I hope no one is offended by my condemnation of "selfies". It was just a fun little story, and the harm came from Selfia's obsession with taking selfies. If you've taken some in the past, I don't think you're a horrible person.  

Narcissus by Caravaggio. Web Source: Wikipedia

Work Cited
"Narcissus" translated by Tony Kline, from Ovid's Metamorphoses (2000). Web Source: Un-Textbook

 

Week 2 Reading Diary:

I really enjoyed the stories about Phaethon in Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4):

Phaethon and the Sun: Phaethon really needed a sense of identity, not only to prove to his friends that he was Phoebus Apollo's son, but to also prove to himself that he was more than just a man. Phoebus shows us the danger that can come from making a blank promise when Phaethon asks for far more than Phoebus had expected. Phoebus's inability to break his promise once he has made it is something worth noting. He did not specifically exclude riding the chariot from his offering, so it was technically up for grabs. 

Phaethon's Ride: Despite the numerous warnings from his father, Phaethon still insists on taking the reins of his father's chariot. He is stubborn and foolish. He quickly learns what he wanted was wrong, and the earth suffers greatly for it. The earth pleads to the gods, asking what she has done to deserve the pain.

The Death of Phaethon: Jupiter responds to the pleading of the earth and smites Phaethon and the chariot. Phaethon's sisters mourn his death for four months, but then get turned into trees. His friend mourns his death and gets turned into a swan. Everyone is mad at Jupiter for killing Phaethon. I don't understand why. He had no choice; Phaethon made a foolish decision and was destroying the earth.

Reading Diary Part B

Echo: I have heard the Judgement of Tiresias before. I know that the staff and two snakes are what we see in the symbol for medicine. I enjoyed the dialogue between Echo and Narcissus; it was very creative. Sad thing that she ended up just being another Nymph whose love Narcissus refused. It wasn't even due to her speech impediment; he was just in his own world.

Narcissus: Wow! Fantastic story and a fantastic way to find out where the term "narcissist" comes from! Interesting how he did not know he was looking at his own reflection; he was so convinced that there was a person in the water. He was completely in love with himself and totally detached from reality. I, for one, am glad of his fate; I really can't stand people who are too engulfed in themselves.

Pyramus and Thisbe: I had no idea Romeo and Juliet was based on Greek mythology. I guess no stories are truly original, and all are based on some story before it. I think I liked the lion version better, though. Thisbe really couldn't help that a lion came, whereas I never felt that Juliet should have taken that fake poison without letting Romeo know. Although, I feel that Pyramus and Thisbe's tragedy could have been avoided with a simple phone call. Too bad the technology didn't exist back then. 

Week 1 Introduction

My name is Joshua Altom. I am a senior studying Mathematics. I plan to graduate in the spring of next year.

One thing you need to know about me is that I love my wife, Hannah Joy Altom. We met in the youth ministry at our church when we were in high school, began dating after we graduated, engaged a year after that, then tied the knot January of this year. She is absolutely amazing! She’s so smart, talented, funny, caring, and she is by far the most beautiful woman in the world. I’m incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful wife.

Another thing you need to know is that I love my lord and savior, Jesus Christ. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without Him. I serve at Lifechurch, both on the Host team and the worship team playing acoustic guitar.

When I was a junior in high school, I started working at Chick-fil-A as a team member. I worked there for five years and worked my way up to management. It was a tremendous experience and a wonderful company to work for. I have recently started working at FNB Community Bank. I’m currently in training to be a teller there, and I’m excited about the new experience.

Whenever I am not busy with school or work, I like staying home and watching movies with my wife. We’re big fans of making popcorn in our Whirly Pop for a nice home-theatre experience. Some of my favorite movies include: The Prestige, The Dark Knight trilogy, the original Star Wars trilogy. Other times, we’ll visit family or friends, or go out for a nice meal and a fun date. Also, both my wife and I are reading the Harry Potter series for the first time. She’s much faster than I am, but we both really enjoy them.

Harry Potter Books. Web Source: Wikipedia

Week 1 Storybook Favorites

It was fascinating to scroll through the many different Storybooks provided on the list. It seems like it will be a fun project for this course that allows for a lot of creativity.

One of the storybooks that caught my eye was Deeper into the Forest. I am interested in studying the Brothers Grimm this semester, so naturally this storybook grabbed my attention. It had a nice layout, including many forest pictures and a background that reminds one of the woods, but the content of storybook is what really intrigued me. The introduction said that the stories are all connected and it included a portion of the last story. The stories lead up to the portion included in the introduction, filling in all the missing pieces. The author compared his introduction to a movie that shows you the last chronological scene of the plot, and then fills you in on what happened before. Some of my favorite movies incorporate this form of storytelling.

Two other storybooks that interested me were Dragons Anonymous and The Creation of Myth. Dragons Anonymous is written like a gathering of dragons, all telling their stories to a trusted group of friends offering support, much like the sharks in Finding Nemo or villains in Wreck-it Ralph. It collects dragon stories from around the world. Similarly, The Creation of Myth is written like a gathering of gods describing the different stories of the universe's creation. One designing detail I liked about this storybook was the use of different colored font to distinguish between the different gods who are speaking. What I like about these two storybooks is that it has a centralized theme, but the stories are taken from many different places. I would prefer to create this sort of storybook, as opposed to a storybook of only King Arthur stories.

Week 1 Untextbook

I am very interested to see how taking this course with an "Un-Textbook" will work. Allowing the students to have the freedom to choose stories that they find interesting will probably make writing assignments much easier! Here are several reading units that I will be interested in exploring:


Weeks 2 and 3: I have always loved Greek mythology, and was a tad disappointed when I realized that this course was not entirely Greek-based mythology. The reading units in weeks 2 and 3 provide a lot of options for Greek mythology, though, so I am excited to start with that. I will probably explore Greek Myths: Ovid I and Cupid and Psyche.


Weeks 4 and 5: One of my favorite Disney movies is Aladin, so Arabian Nights is a definite choice here. It will be fun to read some of the original stories that inspired the movie.


Weeks 6 and 7: I have heard of Brer Rabbit before, but never read any of the stories. The sound of a trickster rabbit sounds fun, though, so I will probably read through Brer Rabbit during these weeks.


Weeks 11 and 12:  I will probably try to find light readings for weeks 9 and 10, so that I can work ahead to weeks 11 and 12. I've always wanted to read Beowulf, and loved reading King Arthur stories and high school. However, both of these contain extended stories, so I will need extra time to devote to them.


Weeks 12 and 13: Brothers Grimm. Germany. Nuff said.


As you can see, most weeks contain units that I am very excited about reading. I think this course is going to be a lot of fun, and the Un-Textbook is a great idea.

Week 1 Storytelling: The Young Lone Wolf

The Young Lone Wolf

One night, the young lone wolf was stalking the old hare late into the night. The old hare caught the wolf’s scent, and he decided to speak with the wolf, for he knew he was too old and frail to flee from him.

            “Why waste your time hunting old hares, like me, when there is a herd of deer just past the bear’s den?” asked the old hare.

            “I dare not attack that herd, for the bear is feeding on the young fawn. I am a young lone wolf, and am too small to fight the large bear.”

            “I know of an ancient, secret magic,” lied the old hare, “that will allow you to become larger even than the bear. If you spare me this night, I can teach you this magic so that you will not only be fed this night, but for many nights to come.”

            The young lone wolf considered what the old hare had proposed. He knew the only disadvantage he had against the bear was his size, but if what the old hare had said was true, he would gladly trade his meal this hour for many meals in the nights to come. The young lone wolf agreed and the old hare instructed the young lone wolf what he must do for the magic to work. The old hare kept the young lone wolf busy with foolish errands until dawn.

(The Young Lone Wolf)

“It has worked even better than I thought!” lied the hare as he pretend to look amazed at the young lone wolf’s size.

            The young lone wolf did not feel like he had grown, but as the sun rose, it cast a long shadow behind the young lone wolf. He gawked in amazement, and immediately ran off to the herd of deer before the magical effects wore off.

            The young lone wolf was stopped at the bear’s den by the large bear. The bear was still much larger than the young lone wolf, and he cast a far longer shadow. With one strong strike of his paw, the bear sent the young lone wolf back from where he came.

            When the young lone wolf returned home, the old hare was gone; the young lone wolf then spent another day with an empty stomach.


Author's Note: This story is based on the fable The Wolf and His Shadow, which can be found in Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter . The original fable tells the story of a wolf who sees his own shadow as the sun sets, causing him to think himself much larger and much greater than he really is. He then decides he should be king instead of the lion. When he goes to challenge the lion, he immediately finds himself under the much larger shadow cast by the lion and is killed.
           When I first read the fable, I thought, 'Wolves aren't in Africa with lions, are they?' so I changed the lion character into a bear. Wolves and bears sometimes compete for food, so this made sense to me. Of course, now that I think about it, the lion could have been a mountain lion, which would have made sense, but oh well. I also added the hare, because I like a story with some deception in it. The deception wasn't life threatening, too, so the wolf gained the opportunity to learn from his mistake. The lessons I would like the wolf to learn are: pride comes before the fall, and NEVER trust a bunny.

Works Cited
"The Wolf and His Shadow" by Aesop, from Aesop for Children (2006). Web Source: www.gutenberg.org

Week 1 Favorite Places

Below are a couple of my favorite places to be:

1) Germany

Through my dad's employment with the Air Force (civilian, not military), my family had the opportunity to live in Germany twice. Once when I was very young for only one year, then again when I was eight for five years. Germany was such a beautiful country to live in! On our second tour, we lived in a small village named Stelzenburg. I always tell my wife that I would like to take her to my hometown in Germany someday.

Speaking of my wife, my next favorite place to be is:

2) At Home with My Wife

My wife and I got married on January 10th of this year, and have enjoyed every minute of living together. There's really nothing better than sitting with her (and our cat, Hamlet) on the couch and watching some movie that may or may not be any good.


Sources:

Flagmap of Germany. Websource: Wikimedia Commons.

Personal image of my wife, Hannah, and our cat, Hamlet; photo from July 2014.

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